


the lightning aches

by gothyringwald



Series: state of the heart (harringrove tumblr fic) [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: First Kiss, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Storms, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-28 00:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14437254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothyringwald/pseuds/gothyringwald
Summary: Steve finds Billy just before a storm.





	the lightning aches

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [on tumblr here for the prompts](http://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/post/173012180085/23-or-30) 'I immediately regret this decision' and 'Is that blood?'. 
> 
> I decided to start cross-posting the prompt fics on AO3, too, for anyone who prefers to read on here or who might miss them on tumblr/might not be on tumblr (and also for my own archiving purposes) :)
> 
> Title from a poem by Richard Brautigan.

There's a storm brewing over Hawkins, tonight. It makes Steve's skin feel too tight, makes anticipation, though he doesn't know for what, coil in his belly. He tries to ignore it but it niggles away at him. As he's driving home, he sees a lone figure sitting by the side of the road, and the tightness snaps. He curses under his breath and presses his foot on the brake. Billy looks up at the sound of the car stopping, then away again when he sees Steve.

As Steve steps out of the car, electricity crackles in the air, raising the hair on his arms. The scent of ozone tickles his nose, catches in the back of his throat.

'There's a storm coming,' Steve says, one arm resting on the roof of his car.

'Yep,' Billy says. His elbows are resting on his knees, and there's a cigarette dangling from his fingers.

'You just gonna stay out here all night?'

'That's the plan.'

'Fine,' Steve says. 'But when lightning strikes your ass, I won't be crying at your funeral.'

Billy snorts. 'Will you at least bring me flowers?'

'Nope,' Steve says and gets back in the car, slamming the door shut. He turns the ignition but he doesn't pull away. He should just leave. Let Billy get soaked. Why should he care?

But he finds himself winding down the window and, with one arm hanging out, says, 'I've got beer.'

Billy eyes him, wary. 'Well, why didn't you say so,' he finally says, hopping up and sauntering over to the car. 

He drops his cigarette, grinding the butt into the ground with his heel, and slides into the passenger seat. Billy brings the scent of tobacco and cold air into the car with him. He sprawls, legs spread so that his knee knocks against Steve's hand where it rests on the gearshift. Steve sighs, already regretting the decision to invite Billy with him, and finally pulls away.

Billy is unusually silent. Steve glances over at him and frowns. 'Is that blood?' he asks gesturing to the red spots on Billy's collar. He looks Billy over properly and sees his lip is split, that there's a bruise forming along his jaw.

'Should've seen the other guy,' is all Billy says, winking, but there's a wrongness to his voice that makes something in Steve go cold. 

The heat is already on, so he turns the radio up, not surprised when Billy scoffs at the song and fiddles with the dial until heavy metal fills the car. 

'Really?' Steve says, raising his brows. Billy just smirks at him. Steve rolls his eyes, and tries to keep his focus on the road.

There is a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, the same feeling that's always there when Billy's nearby, that he can't quite figure out. He shakes it off and says, 'Have you ever watched a storm over the quarry?'

Billy only grins in answer and there goes that strange feeling again. Steve jams his foot on the accelerator, hoping he'll leave the feeling behind if he drives fast enough. His pulse quickens when Billy whoops and throws his head back, and he thinks yeah, definitely regretting this decision. 

When they get to the quarry, they sit on the hood of Steve's car, drinking beer and watching the storm roll in. Steve feels breathless and he tries to pretend it's only how pretty the sky looks and not at all because Billy is sitting so close to him. It's not long before it starts raining, and Steve is soaked through to his skin in moments, hair drooping into his eyes.

The rain doesn't bother him—makes him feel alive—but he's about to ask Billy if he wants to get back in the car, anyway, when Billy leans in and kisses him, open mouthed. For a moment, it's like the storm has cut off all power to Steve's brain, but then it kicks in and he's kissing Billy back. It's brief and kind of sloppy and it surprises Steve because he hadn't known how much he wanted to kiss Billy until Billy's mouth was on his. But it's _good_ and now he knows what that strange feeling in his stomach was, why he always feels off-kilter when he's around Billy. 

A clap of thunder startles them both, like they'd forgotten there was a storm despite the downpour soaking them, and Billy pulls away. There's a closed look on his face that unsettles Steve. He debates a moment before he shifts closer, so that their shoulders are touching. He ignores the rain, the pounding of his heart, and takes Billy's hand.

'So, uh...' Steve starts, not sure what to say. It's still raining, hard, and he's soaked through, jeans clinging to him uncomfortably. He can't imagine Billy feels any better. They should get back in the car. But he's not sure what's going to happen once they do. So, he steels himself and looks over at Billy. 'I'm going to kiss you, again,' he says with a certainty he doesn't quite feel.

Billy nods—the lack of smartass remark still surprising Steve—and says, 'OK.'

'OK,' Steve repeats and, as a fork of lightning splits the sky, he does exactly that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Feel free to find me on tumblr [@gothyringwald](http://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/) :) I've been posting [these prompt fics](http://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/tagged/prompt-fic) there and occasionally other little ficlets, but I hope to start cross-posting most of them on AO3.


End file.
